THE MONSTER and Other Stories. Illustrated.
New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1899. 2 pp undated ads. Original red-orange cloth decorated in black.
First Edition. "The Monster" is a tense tale about a black man who, rescuing a white boy from a fire, in effect loses his face to the flames -- becoming a "monster" to the local white citizenry despite his heroic deed. Though Crane wrote it as "an appeal for brotherhood between white and black" [Stallman], the story was largely condemned as too horrific for the reading public. The two "other stories" are "The Blue Hotel" and "His New Mittens."
This is a bright, near-fine copy (spine slightly darkened as usual, a little foxing there too; there is a 1905 signature at the top of the title page). Williams & Starrett 23; Blanck 4085. Item #15223
Price: $350.00